With the unemployment rate reaching 10%, it’s a pretty safe bet that someone reading this blog is either out of work or going to be soon. It’s unfortunate, but true. The number of resumes I’ve received in the last two months probably outnumbers the amount I’ve gotten in the last two years!
If you’re one of those individuals who is currently on the job hunt, you have some stiff competition. There are going to be more—and better— qualified applicants seeking the same occupation you are, so it’s more important than ever before to position yourself to be the best candidate available. In addition, since it’s a buyer’s market, employers are in a position to be as picky as they’ve ever been.
So what can you do to increase your odds of winning the job lottery? For starters, your cover letter must be impeccable. If you don’t get called for an interview, you have zero chance of getting the job!
If I have ten resumes in my inbox, there’s a good chance I’ll skim all of them and carefully read at least half of them. But if I have a hundred resumes, I’ll still only skim ten of them and carefully read about half of those. Just because I have more resumes doesn’t mean I have more time to read them all. The simple fact is I don’t! Most employers would probably say the same thing, so the trick is to be one of the ten resumes that gets skimmed. One of the ways you accomplish that is by enticing the employer in your cover letter.
In this e-age, your cover letter is usually an email with a resume attached, so you can’t use any visual aids like fancy paper. Therefore, the body of the cover letter is vital. Give this careful consideration, using your resume as a guide. A good cover letter has three key components.
First, it has two teasers. These are the opening and closing of the cover letter. Just like a TV commercial, you have limited time and space to get the employer to read on. You must grab his or her attention within the first two sentences, so writing, “after seeing your ad in the local paper for the available position, I decided it was….blah, blah, blah!” Next! Everyone writes that!
Try something that fits your style, like this:
Dear Saemus,
I almost fell out of my chair when I saw your ad for (insert job name), because my skills line up so well with what you’re looking for…
Now there’s a letter I’ll probably continue reading, because it didn’t get plagiarized from a Resume 101 textbook. (Feel free to plagiarize that opening from me, though!)
The same concept applies to the closing. “I look forward to hearing from you,” is just about the worst thing to write for a couple reasons. First of all, it’s what everyone else writes, and therefore, a waste of valuable space. Secondly, It puts the ball in the employer’s court, and requires him to make the next move. So you’ve not only given this person control of your future, but you’ve also communicated that you lack key characteristics like initiative, follow-up, and persistence.
Instead, your closing should make him eager to open your resume. It must have impact. For instance, “I’m a winner. I think like a winner, I act like a winner, and I find ways to win! I’ll call you Wednesday to see when we can meet.” Just make sure that you’re ready to put your money where your mouth is. Don’t tell someone you find ways to win if you give up easily, and don’t call Thursday if you said Wednesday!
Between the opening and closing is the body of the letter, which might just be the most important aspect of your job search (I’ll probably say that three more times over the next few articles, so deal with it!). This is where the reader will truly decide whether or not to open your resume. Your teasers might be great, but without some substance in your letter, he has no reason to move forward with you.
The person hiring you only wants to know two things: who you are and what you’ll do on his team. You must answer these questions without being too wordy, so two to four paragraphs of two to four sentences each is appropriate. No more! Otherwise, it won’t even get read.
You tell him who you are by describing your style. For instance, I’m a mentor and a team-builder. These aren’t skills, but they help explain who I am. They tell the reader that I’m more of a coach than a disciplinarian, and give him an idea of how I’ll handle certain situations. So I will usually devote one or two paragraphs to these traits.
In addition, I have an analytical mind, so I can analyze results quickly and set solid goals for improvement. These are skills—not traits—and are two of my strengths, so I expound on them in the other one or two paragraphs.
You must do the same thing, keeping in mind that your audience will learn other things by reading between the lines. The font you use; your attention to details like punctuation, grammar, and spelling; and the catch-words and phrases you throw in all help to form a picture in your reader’s mind. Every single word in your cover letter is important, so consider them carefully
Lastly, don’t ever start off with, “Dear Human Resources Manager,” or “To whom it may concern:” It’s absolutely ridiculous to think either of those statements will get your letter read! The bottom line is that your job search should be important enough to you that you find out who you’ll be dealing with, and address the letter to that person. If you’re too lazy to bother, the hiring person will be too lazy to read it!
Hopefully, that will help you construct a quality cover letter. Feel free to leave questions or comments if you need more help.
Next blog: resume-writing
Saemus Sutton is the creator of the Wash, Rinse, Repeat leadership mentoring model and author of the book Leaders Make Leaders. For more information, visit his website at www.leadersmakeleaders.com.
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